


A Fate Worse than Death

by MelvinL



Category: Chernobyl (TV 2019)
Genre: Accidents, F/M, Medical, Paralysis, Pregnancy, Shooting, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 06:55:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20326960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelvinL/pseuds/MelvinL





	A Fate Worse than Death

It was the middle of the morning, around seven when Ulana left the hotel. She often went out to take her own readings and do impromptu calculations. This morning was no different. Dressed in a creme blouse, a black skirt, and heels, Ulana made her way through the exclusion zone, taking some readings and recording the numbers. She had made her way to the outskirts of Pripyat, walking alone. Little did she know, an animal control team was in the same area with a rather trigger happy liquidator. It happened in a split second. Ulana rounded a corner, there was a loud bang, then silence. She felt a searing pain in her lower chest before falling onto her back, her legs were beginning to go numb. The grimy water from the puddle she had fallen into slowly soaks into her clothes as Ulana gasps for air, her lips parted slightly, her chest seems to spasm as her need for oxygen increases. Ulana stairs, wide-eyed, up at the greyish blue sky. Her body aches with an immense searing pain that originates in her lower chest. She can feel her warm blood soak into her blouse, leaving it stained a crimson red. She can hear the voices of the liquidators who were a part of the animal control squad, but they seem distant and muffled. Almost as if the liquidators were in another room, far away from her.  
The clear sky reminds Ulana of her childhood. She would spend hours upon hours laying in the soft grass of the Belorussian countryside when she would visit her grandmother's house. She could watch the sky for hours, often lost in thought. Her grandmother would often scold her for slacking off on her chores, or simply for spending too much time lying on the ground and doing nothing. The sun had always warmed the long grass, making it a fairly nice spot to lay and relax.   
As Ulana laid there, her mind wandering about her thoughts, she could not help but think of Valery. Recalling all of the time they had spent together. The many seconds they had spent together in bed, with minimal clothing on, holding each other close. Valery always wrapped his arms around Ulana's middle and held her close. He would press soft kisses on her slender shoulders and up her neck. He would run his hand down her stomach to rest it on her hip. They shared more than just many sweet nothings in their hotel rooms. Ulana felt her breath hitch in her throat as she thought of the sweet and dorky smile Valery always had when he looked over her shoulder at her in the mirror after they got out of the shower. He would place his hands on her hips and rest his chin on her shoulder, whispering many sweet nothings to her as he looked at her in the mirror. She remembered the way looking into his icy blue eyes sent shivers down her spine and made her hair stand on end. As the world around her began to fade and her ears began to ring, Ulana could only hope to see Valery one more time. She felt someone lift her up off the ground and she could see the outline of a figure before everything went black.   
One of the liquidators had lifted Ulana off the ground and was carrying her to the truck. She needed immediate medical attention, for it was clear that, along with her blood, the life was draining out of her. The liquidators drove her back to camp, arguing in a panic. Their loud voices make Ulana stir a little, but she does not wake up. Her skin seems to become paler by the second. Upon their arrival back in camp, Ulana is handed off to two soldiers and flown to the nearest hospital equipped to treat her in Kyiv. The flight is long and bumpy, and Ulana is quickly losing blood. A cold sweat is soaking her clothes as she lays there unconscious. So far, no one has thought to notify any of the higher-ups, except General Pikalov, who is handling the situation on his own. Upon their arrival in Kyiv, Ulana is swarmed by nurses and doctors who quickly take her back to an operating room. They quickly begin transfusing blood, but it is hardly fast enough. They cut off Ulana's clothes and quickly begin operating, doing their best to stop her bleeding. They are extremely careful as they remove the bullet, for it had been resting over Ulana's spinal cord, but it is too late. The damage had already been done. She would have nerve damage in her upper body and there was a chance she would never walk again if she even survived. Hours had passed, and Ulana was still in critical condition. Her poor heart had stopped twice, only to be shocked back to life. The doctors managed to finish the surgery and close Ulana up, but, no matter what they did, the damage had been done. Ulana was taken to a small and cramped room in the ICU, it looked more like a supply closet than a proper room. She was hooked up to an insane amount of machines. They all served to keep her alive. A tube had been shoved down her throat and was breathing for her. One of the monitors was monitoring her heart rate and oxygen levels. Another was simply controlling her morphine drip and IV. There was also a feeding tube stuffed down Ulana's nose. She was still receiving blood and platelets so that just added to the whole mess of machines and IV's. They kept Ulana heavily sedated to make sure she was not in any pain. Other than that, there wasn't much that could be done for her.   
A few days passed. Valery had assumed Ulana had gone back to Minsk, as she did sometimes when she needed to do something important that could not be done in Pripyat. He had no idea that Ulana was on the verge of death and that he may never speak to her again.   
There was a knock on Valery's hotel room door. It was from Boris. He looked at Valery and Valery's heart sank. He knew from Boris' expression that something was wrong. He stood in the doorway, too nervous to ask, not truly wanting to know.   
"You should sit down…" Boris croaks, his voice dry, for he dreaded breaking the news to Valery.   
"What happened?" Valery asked, not moving from the doorway.   
Had something happened with the reactor? Was there another accident at the plant? Did something happen with the reactor core?  
Valery mind was racing, but Ulana being injured, let alone shot and dying never crossed his mind, not even once.   
"Valery, you should really sit down" Boris' voice came again, interrupting Valery's thoughts.  
Valery retreated into the room, followed by Boris. He could sense the older man's nervousness as the tension in the air grew. Very gingerly placed himself on the sofa, looking up at Boris.  
"It's about Khomyuk…" Boris begins  
He pauses the words trapped in his throat. Valery leaned in in anticipation. What had happened? Had Ulana been arrested again? Or was she in some sort of lab accident? Did she have radiation poisoning?  
"A few days ago she was involved in an accident… she was shot in the chest" Boris says, stopping there, not knowing how to continue.  
Valery's heart seemed to have disappeared. He could feel his throat tighten and his mouth goes dry as his lips parted to reply. Never in his worst nightmares could he imagine Ulana, his lovely Ulana, being shot.  
"What?" Is all he manages to say, his eyes wide as he looks up at Boris, not truly believing him.  
It couldn't be. It just couldn't be. They must have had the wrong person. Ulana had to be okay. He needed her. Not just to help him with Chernobyl. It was like he did not know how to breathe without her. He needed her to survive. She was the only thing he truly needed in his life. She was like his other half. She was his soulmate. She understood every word from Valery's lips, and he understood every word from hers. She was also the most wonderful cuddler. Her body always seemed to radiate heat and her skin was soft like silk. Not to mention that especially soft spot just over her hip. It was the perfect place for him to rest his hand and trace his fingers over while they cuddled. Valery suddenly looked up at Boris. Boris had said someone, but Valery had been too enveloped in his thoughts to comprehend what he had said. He simply stared blankly at Boris, his mouth slightly agape.   
"She is in the Kyiv trauma centre. She is in critical condition. The bullet ripped through her at an odd angle. It tore through her liver, and one of her lungs before resting over her spinal cord. Her heart stopped twice during the surgery, leaving her brain without oxygen for an extended amount of time… so, if she does wake up, she may not be the Ulana you and I know" Boris says, trying to make sure Valery mentally prepares himself.   
Boris looks at the carpet for a moment, his eyes studying the grimy, horribly patterned carpeting. Over the phone, the doctors had said much more. Ulana could be brain dead or mentally impaired from how long her heart had stopped. She could be paralyzed. She likely had nerve damage. She may not recover. She could get a blood clot and die of a stroke or a pulmonary embolism. She could suffer a heart attack and her heart could stop again. Ulana could die before they even got close to Kyiv, fuck she could be dead as they speak. She could die of internal bleeding if the clotting agent they gave her does not take effect, for the radiation exposure had caused her some issues with her blood. There were many possibilities with what could happen to Ulana, and most of them had far from good outcomes.   
Valery sat in silence, processing what Boris had just said. He can hardly imagine Ulana, his Ulana, being shot in the chest. He could feel cold sweat dripping down his back as he placed his trembling hands on his knees. Valery took a deep breath before standing up.   
"How was she shot…" He mumbles, a dark rage slowly building within him.   
Boris pauses for a moment, surveying Valery, contemplating how much to tell him. He opens his mouth a few times before simply sighing. What on earth was he going to tell Valery?  
"It was an accident with some animal control liquidators…" Boris says, not wanting to say too much.   
He feared to upset Valery more, for he did not care to see him in such a state. Valery simply swallows and nods, unable to find the words to respond. His jaw is clenched and his hands balled into fists. Valery's mind is surprisingly blank.  
"I need to see her," Valery says, his voice flat and his tone dark.  
His eyes are burning into Boris from behind his smudged glasses, but behind all of the rage, Boris can see the fear and helplessness that plagues Valery.   
"There's a helicopter waiting to take us to Kyiv…" Boris replies.   
The next few minutes are a blur. Valery hardly remembers leaving the hotel room, let alone walking out to the helicopter. The animal control team is standing outside the hotel with Pikalov, who looks quite unsettled.  
Valery looks at them, a few stains of Ulana's blood that they had been unable to wash out still on their clothes.  
"Which one of you shot comrade Khomyuk?" Boris begins, planning on having them sent away.  
A rather small young lad steps forward, cowering in fear in front of Boris. Boris opens his mouth to speak hut is interrupted.  
"How could you shoot her? She is not some animal!" Valery shouts, his voice shaking with anger.  
An older man, obviously a soldier steps forward, his chiselled face, looking rather irritated. He was much taller than Valery and rather intimidating.   
"Nobody told us there would be someone taking measurements. She just appeared out of nowhere. It startled us. She wasn't wearing anything protective, and wandering around alone was rather stupid" he mutters, not wanting to defend himself to some stupid scientist.  
That was it, the soldier had crossed the line. Nobody called Ulana, his Ulana stupid.   
"She has a name…" Valery growls his face bright red.  
It looks as though Valery is ready to kill them with his bare hands. Boris grabs Valery's shoulder to pull him away. Valery's reaction had surprised Boris, and he was unsure of what Valery was capable of in such a state.  
"So what? We all have names? Do you think the higher-ups care about what happens to us? Why should we care what happens to her" the soldier barks, irritation rising in his voice?  
The other members of the animal control team have backed away, rather scared of Valery's reaction.   
"She is one of the most important people here… AND YOU'VE SHOT HER! YOU SHOT THE LOVE OF MY LIFE!" Valery shouts, finally admitting that he loves Ulana out loud.   
The tension in the air seems to thicken. Everyone has gone silent, even Valery. He had surprised himself by saying that. Never in a million years did he think he would admit, in front of people, that Ulana was the love of his life. Suddenly, Boris' hand was back on Valery's shoulder and pulling him back onto the helicopter. Valery did not protest, he was too busy being stuck deep within his thoughts. Valery aimlessly plopped down into one of the seats, his elbows going to rest on his knees, and his head resting on his trembling hands. He was silent except for a few stifled sobs. Boris did not take his eyes off Valery throughout the entire flight. He knew that if Ulana did not get better, Valery would never recover.


End file.
